LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — State of Michigan officials have announced their support of the federal government’s winter plan to cover at-home testing costs, among other efforts to battle COVID-19, including the Delta and Omicron variants.
In a press release dated December 3, the Department of Insurance and Financial Services list the key components of the federal plan which include:
- Requiring private insurers to reimburse policyholders for the expenses of obtaining at-home, rapid results COVID-19 tests.
- Expanding access to free at-home tests for uninsured individuals and underserved communities.
- Creating more than 60 emergency response teams to ensure hospitals and states have the help they need to battle rising caseloads.
- Requiring Medicaid to pay health care providers for counseling services to help parents understand the benefits of getting their children vaccinated.
- Expanding access to safe and effective vaccines and boosters by leveraging pharmacy partnerships and creating hundreds of FEMA Family Mobile Vaccination Clinics to allow whole families, including children ages 5-11, to get vaccinated or boosted together.
- Launching a new public education campaign to encourage adults, including seniors and Medicare participants, to get vaccinated or boosted.
- Reviewing school closure guidelines to help schools stay open safely using layered prevention strategies, including “test to stay” programs.
Those looking for more information about the federal government’s COVID-19 Winter Action Plan can go online at WhiteHouse.gov. They can also find a vaccine or booster location in their area by texting their ZIP Code to 438829.
